Food and Farming across the Golden Horseshoe

58% of food produced in Canada – or 35.5 million tonnes – is lost and wasted annually, according to this Second Harvest report. It’s an enormous problem with enormous consequences.  That’s why companies like Vivid Machines are working to address food loss and waste, specifically along the fruit supply chain. The Toronto-based company's mission is to revolutionize fruit production and the entire supply chain with cutting-edge technology. We recently connected with co-founder Jenny Lemieux to learn more about Vivid Machines, who are a finalist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Read more about them in our most recent blog post at the link below! Learn about Vivid Machines

New Agriculture Infographics The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has produced some new Agriculture at a Glance infographics, showcasing a local snapshot of Durham, York, Niagara, Hamilton, Halton, and Peel. Through these big numbers, we can see the significance of local agriculture! Check them out here.

Cheers to the GHFFA Working Group The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance Working Group recently took a trip to Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Peel Region. It was a great afternoon of team building, sunshine and local goodness! If you're in the area, we highly recommend a visit to this fabulous cidery in the rolling hills of Caledon. Visit the Spirit Tree website here.

Does Soil Health Pay? The Greenbelt Foundation, Our Food Future and Erin Common Ground are hosting a free event on soil health at the Erin Legion on November 23rd. The evening’s agenda will include a presentation on the Greenbelt Foundation’s latest report, Towards a Business Case for Soil Health: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge on the Economics of Soil Health Practices in Ontario, by report authors Aaron De Laporte and Paul Smith. A panel of farmers will also speak about their experiences with the costs and savings from six different soil health practices. Learn more and register.

Business Sustainability and Circularity Training COIL has launched a new and improved Circular Leadership Program in partnership with Ivey, which is open to all businesses of any size from all sectors and industries in southern Ontario and Quebec. The program will create awareness of the circular economy, and educate participants on how circular solutions can help reduce costs/waste, increase efficiency/productivity and help them achieve their net-zero targets. Learn more on the COIL website. Applications are due by November 30th at 5 p.m. ET.

Teeny Tiny Summit Series On November 30th, the next webinar in the Teeny Tiny Summit series—presented in partnership between the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs—will look at how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion supports community economic development. The summit's overall theme is “Making Economic Development Happen in Teeny Tiny Places." The series shares practical examples, lessons learned and community economic development tactics.  Learn more and register to attend online here.

Agricultural Advisory Groups The Regional Municipality of Peel is currently seeking submissions from members of the public to serve in a voluntary capacity on The Peel Agricultural Advisory Working Group. Learn more on the Peel Region website here. Applications are also being accepted for the Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee. This Committee provides advice to Regional Council on agricultural matters and is an important voice for the agri-food industry across the region. Learn more on the Durham Region website.

An Investment in Canadian Wine The Government of Canada has announced an investment of up to $990,866 to Wine Growers Canada. The investment, under the AgriMarketing Program, will support Wine Growers Canada to further develop markets in North America, Europe and Asia, and increase awareness of and trust in Canadian-made wine to protect, maintain and enhance market access for Canadian wine producers. “Grape wine is Canada’s highest value-added agricultural product contributing over $11.5 billion dollars annually to the Canadian economy," shares Dan Paszkowski, President of Wine Growers Canada. "Canadian wines account for 1 percent of global production and face fierce competition here in Canada and abroad from major wine producing countries that heavily subsidize their industries. The federal AgriMarketing Program is very helpful in strengthening our fight for market share here in Canada and in developing new markets for Canada’s exceptional, and award-winning wines.” Read more in the news release from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Some more food news to chew on...

This Waterloo-led team is tackling food insecurity through sustainable year-round berry production in Canada How can Canada feed a growing population while simultaneously slashing emissions? That’s the topic of a three-part series on Disruptors, an RBC podcast, called “The Growing Challenge” Organic Meadow is the first dairy producer in North America to use carbon-neutral Pure-Pak cartons, earning the Guelph-based business the top award for innovative packaging at the Retail Council of Canada’s 29th Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Maple Leaf Foods is looking to hire hundreds of employees for a new state-of-the-art poultry plant in London Kitchen Hub has partnered with Longo's to open Toronto's First Virtual Food Hall within a grocery store, the first of its kind in Canada A recent issue of the Canadian Grocer magazine has a lot of interesting reads, including a story (page 8) on a Golden Horseshoe-based couple who created an organic, environmentally-friendly snack business

‌ Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance www.FoodandFarming.ca